K.R. Slifer's Blog

Whirlwind Year

So this year has been a complete whirlwind! I moved to a new state, started a completely new job as an Inner City Middle School teacher, and I've been spending the year adjusting to all the changes.

On the bright side, I survived my first year! I'm now working on two projects-

1. The sequel to The Darkness of Gold
2. A new adult fiction novel based on my own experiences.


I'll keep you all updated!! I'm so excited for my new projects.

UPDATE!

As I posted a month or so ago, the editor for The Darkness of Gold did a pretty bad job of editing. I hold some blame as I simply selected "Accept all changes" instead of going through and seeing what was--or was not-- done as I trusted her. So the wonderful people of BubbleCow took the time to edit my book.

It's great! The newest version of The Darkness of Gold is available on Amazon and Barnes and Nobles Nook. If you have already bought the book, you can upload the newest version available. If not, Why Haven't You?

I'm very excited about the new edition, so please check it out and give me feedback!

Check Me Out!

My wonderful friend and author Dyane Forde interviewed me on her Blog!

http://droppedpebbles.wordpress.com/2...

Check it out!

Hurdle

Before I decided to self publish The Darkness of Gold, I had a friend copy edit my book as a personal favor. Unfortunately, I put the book into production and have realized that the editing was not done to the extent I had expected.

Once again, I find myself waiting for an editor to go through my work and fix what needs to be fixed. Since I realized this, I feel like I've put Vanora's story on hold again. I feel as though I cannot continue with the new chapter in her story, which I have been dutifully working on once more, because the old chapter is not closed. I wonder if I should go back and have it beta read? Should I have it edited for content AND errors?

This is a frustrating process that I thought I was done with. I hope that once this is done with, I can truly move on to the next book that I am so enjoying.

Bogged Down

Unfortunately, I haven't done much writing recently. With the end of my job came the move in with my boyfriend and then Christmas, New Years, and the start of my new job. I feel stuck in the story and I doubt that all the stress has helped. On top of all this, one of my feline friends has been battling lung cancer for a few months and has taken a turn for the worst.

Usually writing helps with the stress. I've worked on some poetry for the first time in a long while. That helped a bit.

I plan to hopefully start up again next week, get some chapters done, and hopefully get Vanora back on her journey.

Finally, some progress!

During one of the horrible night audit shifts I have had to endure during my last weeks at work (one more week left!!!!!!!!), I finally had a break through. I think I have a title... I'm not sold, but I'm letting it run around in my head a little bit and see how it fits. I've also finished two more chapters. I sat down during the wee hours of the morning and just started writing. I couldn't stop! It was like, I suddenly had this clear vision of what the next step is.

I'm so excited for this story. Despite how much Vanora hates it at the moment, I love where her life is headed right now. And my new characters... Prince Evander especially... I think I'd marry him if he were real! Is that weird? He's just so... sigh... scrumptious. At least he is in my head.

I can't wait to go home and write some more now! Actually, I'm excited for the next Night Audit shift because that's when I seem to write best--just don't tell my manager. The building is silent except for the whir of the heat and the soft sound of my music. I focus and suddenly it's 3am and I've been writing for three hours.

I love it...

New Beginnings

I made the difficult decision this week to put in my two weeks notice at my job. It's a decision I've been struggling with for a while.

No matter how much I have enjoyed aspects of this job, writing is what I love to do and what I need to focus on. I wasn't able to reach my NaNoWriMo goal because of the stress I was under at my job. I knew that would happen, but I put myself out there and tried anyway.

I love how, even though I struggled with this decision, the minute I walked out of my manager's office I couldn't wipe the smile from my face. I walked around all day smiling. I was happy. I felt such a sense of relief. No more stress dreams, no more dread, no more exhaustion. In 19 days, I'll be free. Free to finally work on the sequel to The Darkness of Gold like I've been trying to. I have three chapters and no idea where I'm going. With my new job, I'll have the clear head and the relaxed atmosphere to work in.

I can't express how excited I am.

Musings

Every year for the past few years, I have entered NaNoWriMo. That contest is actually what got me to write my novel the first time and the last time. Watching my progress and seeing how close to my goal I am getting is really rewarded.

Last time I entered NaNoWriMo, I had a completely different job. I worked the night shift as a receptionist at a country club. Needless to say, I was often alone, with the phone barely ringing. Working on it was easy. Now, I am a Front Desk Supervisor at a hotel, my desk is in the middle of the hallway, and the phones ring off the hook. I find that I have little time to write suddenly, despite my ideas and itching fingers throughout the day.

Sometimes, I just wonder how people find the time to win NaNoWrimo. How do you reach that 50,000 word goal?? I've never met it, but I've come as close as I could.

Part of me wants to say, "Of course you can do it! Just have faith!!" But the practical part of me feels like I probably shouldn't even sign up. I already have a friend coming for a few days, my husband's birthday is next week, and I'll be working all day on Thanksgiving and most of the days leading up.

I guess I wont know unless I try! NaNoWriMo, here I come!

New Beginning

I started working on The Darkness of Gold when I was 16. It was 50 pages of loose leaf and I illustrated a cover for it. It took all of 8 hours to write down--I was on a plane from NYC to LA and had time. Needless to say, I was proud of myself. I kept it in a drawer of my desk until I started attending college. Sophomore year, when moving into a new dorm room, I found those pages and decided to type it out.

Now, eleven years later, I find myself trying to write a novel from scratch again. I figured, since rewriting Darkness was so easy, writing the sequel should be, too. Wrong! This is hard stuff! I find myself at a loss for what to do. I'm not an outline writer. I hate outlines. I like to free write, but with no idea where I want the story to go, I'm sitting on chapter 3 with Vanora still stuck in her bedroom.

The only clear image I have is of a new character. I'm thinking grey eyes and brown hair....

I love challenges so I look forward to figuring this out! Hopefully, she'll be out of her bedroom soon.